Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 3 March 2026

This Media Update includes:

• Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, Sanjay Wijesekera, on the impact of renewed cross-border hostilities on children in Afghanistan and Pakistan
• UNDP - PRESS RELEASE : UNDP Supports Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 to Advance Institutional Reform

UNICEF

STATEMENT

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, Sanjay Wijesekera, on the impact of renewed cross-border hostilities on children in Afghanistan and Pakistan

KATHMANDU/NEW YORK, 2 March 2026 - "UNICEF is alarmed by reports that children have been killed and injured in the recent escalation of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"While we are working to verify these reports in coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and other UN partners, it is already clear that children are bearing a heavy toll.

"Following intense fighting, families who survived last year's devastating earthquake in eastern Afghanistan are now being asked to evacuate displacement camps near the border for their own safety. The affected camps were established to provide essential support, including shelter, food, healthcare, safe water and sanitation, child-friendly spaces, and emergency education to 17,000 survivors, approximately half of them are children.

"For families who have already lost so much, this renewed displacement compounds their suffering. Once again, children are being uprooted from what little stability they had regained and are exposed to heightened risks of disease, malnutrition, violence and exploitation.

"In Pakistan, escalating tensions have also affected children and families in border areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Authorities have now reportedly closed 138 government schools as a precautionary measure, given recent attacks on schools, including a drone strike in Ghalanai, disrupting access to education for thousands of children. Routine immunization is also being impacted. Displacement and insecurity have increased protection concerns, including the risk of injury and loss of life, alongside risks posed by unexploded ordnance in affected communities.

"UNICEF calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, protect civilian lives, and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. Children must be protected at all times."

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Media contact:

Ricardo Pires

Communication Manager & Deputy Spokesperson

UNICEF Geneva

Tel: +41 79 481 5021

Email: [email protected]

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF's work for children in South Asia, visit www.unicef.org/rosa. Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook.

UNDP

PRESS RELEASE

UNDP Supports Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 to Advance Institutional Reform

The Pakistan Governance Forum (PGF) 2026, convened by the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)in partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), marked a significant moment in Pakistan's national policy dialogue. Held on 25-26 February in Islamabad, the initiative built on the momentum of the 2023 Governance Forum, further consolidating a national platform for institutional reform and policy dialogue.

Organised under the Government's URAAN Pakistan initiative, the Forum was structured around the 5Es: Equity, Exports, Energy, Environment, and e-Pakistan. Comprehensive discussions in 25 thematic sessions involving over 100 eminent speakers and more than 500 participants - including federal and provincial leaders, parliamentarians, senior civil servants, development partners, private sector representatives, academia, civil society, and students - PGF 2026 served as a whole-of-government and whole-of-society dialogue on Pakistan's reform trajectory.

The Forum was inaugurated by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who emphasized strengthening public institutions for transparent fiscal management and equitable development. Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal highlighted long-term planning and institutional reform as foundations for sustainable national progress. In his remarks, UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Samuel Rizk underscored the need to translate Pakistan's recent macroeconomic stabilization into sustained, inclusive growth through stronger institutions, improved public sector performance, and renewed citizen trust. Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan & Foreign Minister, delivered the closing keynote address on day one, reaffirming the government's commitment to protecting national interests through peaceful dialogue, strategic partnerships, and advancing diplomacy in service of the people.

Day two of the Forum was inaugurated by Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly, who called for strengthening theParliament to ensure transparent and citizen-responsive governance. UNDPalsoconvened a dedicated policy dialogue at the Forumaround thelatestedition of its quarterly Development Advocate Pakistan publication.Moderated by Dr. Rizk, the session featured Bilal Azhar Kayani, Minister of State for Finance and Railways; Sam Waldock, Development Director, British High Commission; Dr. Saba Gul Khattak, former Member (Social Sector), Planning Commission; and Dr. Mirjam Buedenbender Buchholz, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Germany.

Ahead of the event's closing by Yousuf Raza Gilani, Chairman Senate, the Forum reflected strong United Nations-wide participation, underscoring the centrality of governance across sectors. Heads and senior representatives from multiple UN agencies contributed to panel discussions, including Fuad Pashayev, Representative, UNESCO;Geir Tønstøl, Country Director, ILO; Pernille Ironside, Representative, UNICEF; Jamshed Kazi, Country Representative, UN Women; Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP; Gulnara Kadyrkulova, Deputy Representative, UNFPA; Thomas Conan, Deputy Country Director, World Food Programme;and Jawed Ali Khan, Country Programme Manager, UN-Habitat.

PGF 2026 reaffirmed UNDP's role as a strategic partner to the Government of Pakistan in advancing governance reform, institutional strengthening, and inclusive growth, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and Pakistan's long-term development vision.